Home Affairs plans to deliver passports to SAns living abroad

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced plans to deliver passports to South African citizens living abroad.

The service is set to go live on 1 November 2025 at all new Home Affairs service centres worldwide, and it will afford expats an option to select courier delivery for their passports.

DHA Minister Leon Schreiber announced the milestone at The Hague, in the Netherlands.

For the first time, the DHA will allow clients to choose courier delivery for critical documents, eliminating the need for a second visit to collect them in person.

The service, which will exclusively be rolled out to South Africans living abroad, allows the department to fine-tune the process before expanding it to local clients.

The department said turnaround times will range between 24 and 72 hours, with courier fees set between $30 and $60.

It's added that the service will initially operate in 18 cities globally, with additional centres expected to open in the coming months.